With high integration of semiconductor devices, a process technique of more finely processing semiconductor devices is requested. As a technique of finely processing semiconductor devices, a pattern forming method has been known, in which a resistor pattern is formed using a photolithographic technique and the formed resist pattern is used as an etching mask to etch a workpiece.
It has been recently requested that semiconductor devices be miniaturized to a resolution limit or smaller of an exposing apparatus in the photolithographic technique.
As a technique of forming a pattern finer than the resolution limit of the exposing apparatus in the photolithographic technique, a patterning technique such as a side wall transfer (SWT) method is known (see, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-088085).
In the SWT method, an organic film is patterned by the photolithographic technique, for example, using an exposing apparatus and a coating and developing apparatus connected in line to the exposing apparatus. Further, a spacer material such as a silicon dioxide (SiO2) film is formed conformally on the patterned organic film using a film forming apparatus such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus or an atomic layer deposition (ALD) apparatus. Subsequently, a part of the spacer material is etched using an etching device capable of performing an anisotropic etching such as a plasma etching apparatus, so that the spacer material remains only in a side wall portion of the pattern of the organic film. Then, the pattern of the organic film is removed and a desired fine pattern is formed by the spacer material.